Automobile.



T. B. JEFPERY.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION FILED me. 25,1902;

WW M d ,\N\ g m M. Q

7 M W a T. B. JEPFERY.

AUTOMOBILE.

APPLIOATION IILI D AUG. 26,1902.

Patented se t.29,190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

\ THOMAS TB. JEFFERY, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMOBILE.

" Specificationpf Letters Patent.

I Patented. Sept. 29, 1908;

Application filed Au us a, 1902. Serial No; 120,924.

To all whom it-may concern: 1 I

Beit known that I, THOMAS 'B'. JEFFERY, citizen ofthe United States, residing .at Kenosha, county of Kenosha, State of Wis- :consin, have invented a certain new and use- I ful Im rovem'ent 1n'Automob'1ls; and I declare 't e following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,- such as will enable others skilledin the art to .whichit J per'tainsito make and use the same, reference einghad to the accompanying drav rings, which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention' relates-in general to. im-

provementsin automobiles, and more par'- 5 ticularly to means for operating the steering mechanism and the .motive fluidcontroller.

' Inthense of automobiles occasions some- I tlmes arise when t s advantageous to lock" the steering. mechanism so as to retain the steering wheels in a certain position. "It is also desirable that the steering rod of" an automobile should be supported by the frame which carries the engine so thatthe'bedy of a the vehicle may be removed Without necessi' 5 tating the detachment of the steering rod support. It is further desirable that the means for operating the motive fluid con troller should be conveniently located with respect to the steering rod.

J The rimary objects of my invention are to provide an automobile with steering mechamsm which'm'ay be readily locked in any given position and readily unlocked when it is desired to change the position of the'steering 3 wheels, or ifnot locked to provide sufficient friction so that in, traveling if one wheel strikes an" obstruction the shock on the steering lever will be relieved, and tojprovide a secure support forthe steerin rod. independentof the body of the vehice. A furtherobject of my invention is to rovide a controller for the motive fluid whic may be mounted upon the same support as and surround the steering rod. a j i My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the .ac'coinpanying drawings in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and prac'- bile; Fig. 3 a view'similar to Fig.2 showing the steering rod inits locked position; and

. Fig. 4 an enlarged sectional, view on line 4+4,

S m lar reference characters are used in the .several figures ofthe-drawmgs to indicate similar parts} The embodiment of my. invention herein disclosed consists generally described, in. a socket secured at a plurality of points, preferably one above another, to the engine supporting frame of an automobile, asteering rod extending through and rotatably su ported in .the socket, a sleeve operative y connected with the motive fluid controller surrounding the steering rod and supportedv 'upon the. socket, and a friction clutc timer- I posedbetween the socket and steeringzrod and operated by a vertical movementrof ".the laF ter to lock and unlock the steeringcmech 'an ism;

7 Reference characters A and -A v indicate" which are preferably. formed bf angle metal.

- indicates, a cross beam secured at its endsto the upper-'strrfacesof the sidebeamsA andA B indicates a standard secured at its base to the beam hif-and'provided with an arm I) secured toa'brace C, the opposite ends of the latter being secured to t e side (portions of the engine supporting frame an referside portions of the engine supporting frame, 1

ably' by means of the same fastening evices 1 which secure-the cross beam A to the side beams. A second standard B is supported at its base upon the casin D, thelatter being in en agement at one en of the cross beam. AL-

arm I)? is provided on the standard B to secure the latter rigidly to the brace C.-

The standards B and B are, rovided with bearings. in which is starting the engine.

A 'socket'E-for supporting the steering rod F is'rig'idly secured. to the frame for. supporting the engine at a plurality of points, preferably one above the other. :-In the draw ings the socket Eis provided with a pair of perforated lugs e which are fixed to the vertical surface of the cross beam A'by any suitable securing, means, such for instance as bolts. A second! pair of'perforatod lugs e extend horizontally above the uppersurface.

of the brace C to which they are rigidly se cured by any suitable means, as for instance bolts.

journale the shaft for Rigidly-secu-red .to the lower end of the socket E'i's one member E of a fIlOtlOIl clutch which may conveniently be formed is rotatably mounted on a reduced portion 6 at the upper end of the socket. The portion g at the lower end of the sleeve G is preferably slightly enlarged in diameter to surround the reduced portion e.of the socket. The enlarged portion 9 is split and provided with a pair of lugs g through which a clamp screw is passed toadjust the frictional en- 'agernent between the socket and sleeve. The sleeve G is provided with suitable means, such for instance as the perforated lug g for operatively connecting the same with the.

motive fluid controller. The upper end of the sleeve is'provided with a radial flange g and alsowith aprojecti'on g, .the function of the latter being to afford a convenient means for rotating the sleeve G and thereby operating the controller.

' .the socket E The steering rod F extends through the socket E and sleeve G within which it is rotatably mounted. The lower end of the steering rod is provided with the other member F of the two-part friction clutch above referred to. An arm f is rigidly secured to the lower end of the steering rod which is adapted to engage connections leading to the steering wheels. The member F of the clutch may be rigidly secured to the steering rod by any suitable means and is of such a shape that its exterior surface corresponds to the interior surface of the other member E of the clutch. The member E of the clutch is ri idly secured to the lower end of byany suitable means, as for instance by the split collar e through perforated lu s in which a clamp screw passes, or if desired the parts may be made in one piece. The upper end f of the steering rod is perforated to which 1s hinged the end of the steering lever F The lever F is provided with a handle f to be grasped by the hand of the operator to rotate the steering rod. The end of the steering lever F adjacent to its connection with the steering rod is provided with a dependingfulcr'um f which may be conveniently provided with a friction roller. The fulcrum f 3 is located vertically above the radial flan e 9 at the top of-the sleeve G. A short hand lever f de ends from the end of the steering lever F? a jacent to the fulcrum f Thefu crumf and the hand lever f 4 may conveniently be secured to a con ling F interposed between the end of t e steering lever F and the upper end f of the steering rod, or the parts may be in one piece.

The socket E is shown as provided with laterally )rojecting perforated bosses E and also on the other side thereof with a horizontal bearing E to which-is secured a complemented bearing a. The bosses and bearmg form convenient means of supporting portionsof the operating mechanism which however form no part or my present invention and are consequently not herein doscribed in detail. v

The operation of my invention which will scription is as followsfThc steering rod is oscillated to direct the course of the automobile by means of the lever W, as is customary in such vehicles. The socket being .secured to the frame of the engine at a pluralityv of points one above another, securely maintains the steering rod in the desired position and prevents the same from moving laterally in any direction. The oscillation of the-steering rod by means of the steering lever swings the arm f at the lower end of the rod 'and through the connections ongaged thereto adjusts the positions of the steering wheels. When it is desired to lock or frictionally retain the steering wheels in a given position, the steering rod is elevated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, thereby bringing into ongagement the two parts of the friction'clutch.

depressing the steering lever F which through the engagement of the fulcrum f with the radial flange g forcibly lifts the steering rod upwardly. The elevation of grasping the hand lever f 4 and pressing the same towards the sleeve G, thereby oscillating the steering lever F about its fulcrum f and consequently lifting the steering rod,

convenient means. The two members of the friction clutch may be readily disengaged when it is desired to unlock the steering mechanism by elevating the steering Fig. 2. The sleeve G may be rotated about thereduced end of the socket by applying pressure to the projection, thereby operating the motive fluid controller.

vious that I have invented an improved means for rigidly su porting the steering rod independently of 't 1e body of the vehicle, such means being also adapted to'su)port the sleeve for operating the motive flui controller. It is also obvious that I have invented'an improved steering mechanism for automobiles capable of being readily locked to retain the steering wheels in any desired position and as readily unlocked when it is desired to again adjust the steering mechamsm.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form,

of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

be readily understood from the foregoingde- The steering rod may be elevated either by the steering rod may also be effected by or the steering rod may be elevated by other lever F to its normal position, indicated in 3 From the foregoing description it is obthe proportion of parts, and the substitution Havin now fully described my invention what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is--' I 1.; In an automobile, the combination with the name for supporting the. enginecomprising side beams, a cross beam supported at its ends by the side beams and abracevextending above the cross beam. and also sup-- ported at its endsby the side beams, a socket secured to the cross beam and brace of said frame, a'steering rod supported within said socket whereby the body of the vehicle may be removed without detaching the steering rod support. I I

2. In an automobile, the combination with the engine sup gorting frame comprising side beams, across earn supported at its ends by I the side beams and a brace extending above longitu tudinally movably supported, a two-part friction clutch the members of which are' secured respectively to said socket and rod,

a steering lever pivotally secured to said rod, 'and a f 0 [mm for said leverwhereby res-5 sure. ap lied to said lever moves sai rod dlnally within saidsocket thereby forcing the-members of said clutch into fric 'tionalengagemeiit. j p

4. In an automobile, the combinationwith a, steering rod, of a .relatively fixed" socket in which said rod is rotatably and Ion-- ction clutch the mem ers of which are secured res ectively to said socket and "rod, a steering ever ivotall secured to said rod, and a fulcrum or said ever, and .a hand lever with -a steering1 fixed to is depending fromthe'said steering lever whereby when pressure .is applied to said handlever said rod is longitudinally moved within said socket there y forcing the members of said clutch into frictional engagement.

5. In an automobile, the combination with the engine supporting frame, ofa socket I rigidly secured to said frame,-a steerin rod supported Within saidisocket, and a s eeve -for o erating the motive fluid controller surroun' 'ng sa1d rod and supported upon said socket.

6. In an automobile, the combination with the engine supporting frame, of a socket rigidly secured to said frame at a plurality of points, a steering rod supported withinsaid socket, a sleeve for o crating the motive fluid controller surroun ing said rod and slip orted upon said socket, andmeans for prosleeve and said socket. i I a 7. In an automobile, the combination rod, of a relatively fixed socket in' whic said rod is, rotatably and ucing a frictional engagement between-said 5 longitudinally movably supported, a two- 7 0 part friction clutch the mem ers of which are secured respectively to said socket and rod,. 1

a steering lever pivotally secured to said rod, a sleeve for operating the motive fluid controller surrounding said rod and supported upon said socket, a flange radiallyprqecting from said sleeve adjacent to said over whereby when the lever is depressed .it engages said flange therebylifting said rod and force ing the members tional contact. p In testimony whereof, .I slgn-this specifi- I cationin-the presence'of two witnesses. giitudmally movably supported, a two-part THOMAS BQJEFFERYQ Witnesses: i

. W. BLAGKWELL, .WALTER H." QHAMBERLIN. 

